Public · Community college
Cleveland State Community College
Cleveland, Tennessee · Small city
- 12%
- Transfer rate
- $6,384
- Avg net price
- 37%
- Grad / completion
- $36,671
- Median earnings
Cleveland State Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Cleveland, Tennessee (small city setting), enrolling 1,975 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is the county seat of and the largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee. Peoples of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, beginning about 900–1000 CE, established numerous villages along the river valleys and tributaries. The MainStreet Cleveland Halloween Block Party draws more than 20,000 people to the city every year. The event began in 1988 as a candy handout at the Cleveland Police Department and Centenary Avenue, and has grown to one of the largest events in Cleveland. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 27 miles to Chattanooga, TN
- To the ocean
- 295 miles
- Nearest airport
- 22 miles to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)
How Cleveland State Community College compares
Higher than 22% · #67 of 81 in Tennessee
Higher than 13%
Higher than 55% · #28 of 70 in Tennessee
Cheaper than 85% · #11 cheapest of 82 in Tennessee
Lower than 73%
Lower than 39%
Larger than 82%
Percentiles compare Cleveland State Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Tennessee.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,17059%
- Men80541%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White75%
- Black7.8%
- Hispanic11%
- Asian1.0%
- Other or multiracial4.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,975
- Student–faculty ratio
- 18 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 27%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 17%
- Median family income
- $24,692
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $63,468
- Endowment
- $5,462,546
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 701 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Tennessee98%
- Other U.S. states2.1%
Most first-years stay in state — Cleveland State Community College draws overwhelmingly from Tennessee.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,762
- Out-of-state tuition
- $17,746
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,807
- Total cost of attendance
- $14,834
- Average net price
- $6,384
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 37%
- First-year retention
- 52%
- Transferred to another college
- 12%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,359
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,671
- Median debt at graduation
- $7,954
- Students with federal loans
- 6%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 31%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 113 (62 men · 51 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,282 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 25% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,800. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 692 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $36,671
- Typical debt at graduation
- $7,954
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 22%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 43%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $14,095 (45%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 89°F
- Winter low
- 29°F
- Annual rain
- 57.6″
- Annual snow
- 1.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN US station (5.1 mi from campus).
What Cleveland State Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Cleveland State Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Cleveland State Community College side by side →
Jackson State Community College
Jackson, Tennessee · Small city · 79 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 2,511
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $35k
Dyersburg State Community College
Dyersburg, Tennessee · Remote town · 72 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 2,103
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $36k
Walters State Community College
Morristown, Tennessee · Small city · 41 mi to Knoxville
- Students
- 3,591
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $37k
Northeast State Community College
Blountville, Tennessee · Fringe rural · 62 mi to Asheville
- Students
- 4,404
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $35k
Roane State Community College
Harriman, Tennessee · Distant town · 40 mi to Knoxville
- Students
- 3,250
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $39k
Columbia State Community College
Columbia, Tennessee · Fringe town · 42 mi to Nashville
- Students
- 3,897
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $40k
Colleges near Cleveland State Community College
Brillare Beauty Institute
Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 265 students
Lee University
Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,617 students
Pentecostal Theological Seminary
Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 0 students
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, TN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,773 students
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · Private for-profit · Associate · 4,462 students
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers
Chattanooga, TN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 252 students
Omega Graduate School
Dayton, TN · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga, TN · Public · Associate · 5,284 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.